Ex-Chennai Super Kings player, Kedar Jadhav, feels that Ruturaj Gaekwad should replace MS Dhoni as the captain of CSK when the wicket-keeping legend retires from the Indian Premier League. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been associated with the Chennai-based franchise since the induction of the tournament and has led the team to win the IPL title four times. MS Dhoni-led his Yellow Army for a record 200th time on April 12, and there have been speculations that this could possibly be the last season of the former India captain.
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Though the confirmation is yet to come, several possible names for the CSK captain candidature have already started coming out. Few of the names that can be the next CSK captain are Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, and Ravindra Jadeja. Former CSK player, Kedar Jadhav has tipped Ruturaj Gaikwad’s name ahead of Ben Stokes to succeed MS Dhoni as the captain of Chennai Super Kings.
Jadhav, who is an IPL commentator and expert for Jio Cinema said, "I think Ruturaj Gaikwad could be the captain of CSK after MS Dhoni. Ben Stokes is also another potential captain along with Ravindra Jadeja. But for that, Stokes has to play really well for CSK this year. Availability is another issue. So, I think Rituraj Gaikwad is the best option to captain CSK after MS Dhoni."
Gaikwad played six matches in the 2020 season and has become CSK’s batting lineup backbone over the years. He averages more than 40 per game and has a strike rate of more than 130. Notably, Dhoni had stepped down as the captain of CSK and passed on the baton to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022 but was back as the captain owing to the team's poor performance in the season. Jadhav has also named Ben Stokes as a possible CSK captain candidate, but he also said that the England test team captain must perform exceptionally well to be in contention.